Nature's Untamed Forces Unite to Sculpt Sea Arches

Sea arches are erosional remnants of a once-continuous sea cliff found along many of the world's most rugged coastlines. On this lava-layered coast, wind, wave, sand, and rock work together to pound, fracture, and carve sea caves out of the lava foundation. Wave refraction then erodes the headland of neighboring sea caves to form sea arches. Once established, sea arches continue to erode while buttressing the steep, vertical cliffs from which they originated. Given time and gravity, the bridge collapses and leaves behind a column of rocks known as a sea stack.

Kalapana, Hawaii · United States